Shikotan Island

The largest island of the Small Range of the Kuril Islands is Shikotan Island, discovered in 1733-1743. This is an earthquake-prone island with the possibility of a tsunami, the absence of active volcanoes and a moderate maritime climate.

The area of the territory is 225 square kilometers, the maximum height is 412 meters, the island stretches for 27 kilometers from the north-east to the south-west, its width is 5-13 kilometers. In the central part of the island on the shore of the South Kuril Strait is located the bay of Krabovaya, and in the northern part - Malokurilskaya. The southern coast is subject to ocean erosion.

The name "shikotan" translates as "best place", due to the presence of comfortable small coves and indented coastline. The South Kuril Strait separates Shikotan Island from Kunashir Island, which is 57 kilometers northwest, and the Spanberg Strait from the Oskolka Islands, located 20 kilometers southwest and from Polonsky Island, which is 22 kilometers southwest.

Flora and fauna are not as rich here as on the larger Kuril Islands. On the island there are not too thick thickets of bamboo and stlanik. The hills are covered with grass, thickets of yew, vines of wild grapes, birch, spruce and larch. Common animals are the fox, white-tailed eagle and Eastern Dinodon snake.

Shikotan is rich in small lakes and mountain streams, where ket and pink salmon come to spawn. The ocean waters that surround the island are home to more than 70 species of fish.

On Shikotan there is a hydrophysical observatory, the extraction of marine animals and fishing are developed. The attraction of the island is the Cape of the World.